Boat and luggage carrier



Filed Oct. 21, 1963 4/ W R /Z 2 5 G m I 4 Z 2 4 l 34 g E lg u fl b/# 2 16 m :2

United States Patent 3,186,569 BOAT AND LUGGAGE CARRIER Andr Roux, 880112th Ave., Dmmmondville South, Quebec, Canada Filed Oct. 21, 1963, Ser.No. 317,627 3 Claims. (Cl. 214-450) "of the character described,comprising a stationary frame rigidly secured to the top of the motorvehicle and a movable loading and unloading frame, the system beingcharacterized'by the fact that in the transport position,

the luggage basket or container and the boat rest directly on thestationary frame, the movable frame being free of any load thereon. a

Yet another important object of the present invention resides in theprovision of a system of the character described, inwhich the movableframe carries the luggage container or basket and can take an inclinedextended position at the side of the motor vehicle, whereby luggage aswell astheboat can be loaded at a level much below the .top of the motorvehicle.- 1 Yet another object of the present invention resides in theprovision of a system of the character described,

:which is of simple and'relatively inexpensive construction and whichwill have a long service life.

, Theforegoing and other important objects of the present invention willbecome more apparent during the following disclosure and by referring tothe drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a back end view of a passenger motor vehicle provided with acombined luggage and boa-t carrier in accordance with the invention andshowing the boat and luggage basket or container in transport position,the boat beingshown in cross-section, said figure also showingindot-and-dash lines the loading and unloading position of the movableframe and showing how the boat is loaded or unloaded;

FIGURE 2 is a partial cross-section onan enlarged scale, taken alongline 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial cross-sectionon an enlarged scale, taken alongline 33 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the system in accordance with theinvention in transport position.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which like referencecharacters indicate like elements throughout, the system in accordancewith the invention comprises 'a rigid stationary frame 1, of generallyrectangular shape, and consisting of two spaced parallel rails 2,

rigidly interconnected by transverse members 3 near both,

ends of rails 2, the latter protruding from transverse members 3.

Members 3 have attachment brackets 4 forming eyes through which isinserted and attached one end of straps, not shown, which are providedat their other end with hooks for removably engaging in conventionalmanner the rain gutter of a motor vehicle A, in order to firmly secureframe 1 unto the top of said vehicle.

Rails 2 are each provided with an angle iron 5 extending longitudinallyon the inside thereof and secured thereto. A pair of suction cups 6 aresecured to each angle iron 5 and adhere to the top of the motor vehicle"ice A. Thus, frame 1 is supported in horizontal position on the roof ofthe motor vehicle.

Rails 2 have a U-shaped cross-section and are disposed sideways, asshown in FIGURES 2 and 3, with the lower leg 7 provided with anupstanding flange 8.

Lower leg 7 and upper leg 15 of each rail 2 are directed outwardly offrame 1 and each rail 2 receives and guides a roller wheel 9, mountedfor free rotation by means of ball hearings or the like on the end of ashaft 10 which is itself secured to a movable frame 11 having a U-shape,consisting of longitudinal legs 12 and a bight member 13.

1 Roller wheels 9 are mounted at the free ends of the longitudinaltubular legs 12 of movable frame 11,. as shown in FIGURE 4, and protrudelaterally inwardly thereof.

In transport position, legs 12 of movable frame 11 are disposed on theoutside of rails 2 and bight member 13 is disposed outwardly from thefree, ends 28 of rails 2 of fixed frame 1, at the loading and unloadingend of the apparatus.

In the transport position, the top 14 of each leg 12 of movable frame 11is disposed at a level slightly lower than the top leg 15 of rails 2 offixed frame 1, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3.

An L-shaped bracket 16 is secured to flange 8 of each rail 2 ofstationary frame 1 near rail ends 28 and protrudes outwardly from saidframe 1 and serves to support movable frame 11, as shown in FIGURE 2.

Movable frame 11 is locked in transport position by means of a wingscrew 17 passing through a threaded hole made in bracket 16 and in awasher 18 secured to bracket A luggage receiving basket or container19,,of any conventional construction, is provided with outwardlyprotruding lateral arms 20, which are removablysecured to longitudinallegs 12 of movable frame 11 by means of screws 21. In transportposition, the luggage basket 19 directly rests on angle irons 5, asshown in FIGURE 2, and, legs 29 extend over the rails 2 of stationaryframe 1 without resting on said rails 2.

Each leg 12 of movable U-shaped frame 11 is provided near its ends withupstanding studs 22, which serve as abutment means for locating a boat Bin inverted position, more particularly during loading and unloading ofsaid boat. 1

Rails 2 of stationary frame 1 are provided at their ends with laterallyinwardly protruding headed studs 23 which serve to attach straps passingover boat 'B 'to secure said boat in the transport position.

The ends of legs 12 of movable frame 11 adjacent the transverse bightmember 13 are provided with bores 25 for removably inserting angularrods 26 provided with inwardly laterally extending arms 27 which serveas handle bars.

The apparatus in accordance with the invention is used and operates inthe following manner:

Rods 26 are inserted within bores 25 of legs 12 of movable frame 11 andwing bolts 17 are unscrewed and the movable frame is lifted off L-shapedbrackets 16 by grasping handle bars 27.

By pulling on handle bars 27, the movable frame 11 is moved laterallyoutwardly, the roller wheels 9 moving within rails 2 of fixed frame 1.Roller wheels 9 are moved to the ends 28 of rails 2 until they abutagainst an end flange 29 (see FIG. 2) closing the loading and unloadingends of the tubular rails 2.

In this limit position of the movable frame 11, the latter extendslaterally of the vehicle and can be lowered into an inclined position(shown in dot-and-dash lines in FIGURE 1) with the angular rods 26resting on the ground.

The luggagei container 19,

can be filled with luggage and other articles, and then the boat B canbe loaded on movable frame 11 in the following manneri a boat BisIdisposed on the ground alongside the movable frarnefill, as shown atB, in upright position'and then is turned over itself in accord-' whichis secured to the movable frame 11, is in a readily accessible positionand with arrow 30' by means of angular bars 2 6 and its lat-. eralextensions 27. until said frame assumes an inclined 7 position higherthan the level of stationary frame 1.;

Movable frame 11 is then pushed in the direction of arrow 30" and itsroller wheels 9 move along rails 2 until they come into abutment withthe closed ends 31 of rail 2, as shown in FIGURE 4.

During this movement, the legs 12. of. the, movable frame 11 areslightly inclined and thus their top 14 are higher than the top 15 ofrails 2.v

When movable frame 11 has reached its limit transport position, handlebars26 are lowered in order to cause the movable frame to rest at itsend provided with bight member 13 directly on L-shaped support brackets16 at the ends 28 of rails 2; wing bolts 17 are then tightened againstthe movable frame to transport position. i i

In this position, the legs 12 of the movable frame are at a lower levelthan rails 2 of the stationary frame and, thus, the weight of theluggage carried in basket 19 is directly transferred onto the angleirons 5 secured to the .block the latter in What I claimis: i i v 1. Aboat carrier for motor vehicles comprising a stationary frame consistingof a pairof spaced parallel rails and of transverse members rigidlyinterconnecting said rails, means for securing said frame over the topof a motor vehicle with'lsaid rails disposed transversely to thelongitudinal axis ,ofsaid motor vehicle; support brackets secured to oneend of said rails and laterally extending therefrom, a movable frame ofU-shape 'consisting'of longitudinal legs and a transverse bight memberinterconnecting one end of said legs, said movable frame capable ofdisplacement with respect to saidstationary frame between a transportposition in whichgsaid legs are disposed alongside said rails and saidbightmember isdisposed adjacent said'su'pport brackets, and a loadingand unloading position in which said movable frame is inclined on'oneside ofsaid vehicle'to receive a boat, support elements secured to thefree ends of said legs and laterally extending therefrom andreng'agingsaid. rails for the support of said freetends of said legs, saidsupportelements being capable of displacement along said rails and beingguided by thelattenthe other ends of said legs resting directly on saidsupport brackets in the transport position of said movable frame,-thetopofsaid legs ,in said transport position being at a lower level thanthe top of said rails, whereby a boat in said, transport position ofsaidtmovable framerests directly on the top of whereby to liftfa boatoffsaid rails.

stationary frame 1 andthe boat B rests directly on the 5 top 15 of rails2 of said stationary frame 1. Thus, the

frame 11 is no longer subjected to any loading, the weight of the loadbeing directly supported by the fixed frame 1 which is itself firmlysecured to the motor vehicle. Thus,

roller wheels 9 are not subjected to any Wear and the shafts 10 cannotbecome bent during transport,v and load firinly attached to frame 1 bymeans of straps secured at their ends to headed studs 23. The angularrods-26- are removed from the movable frame and stored in the vehicle Ai To unload the'boat and luggage, the inverse operations are effected.

V 2.,A boat carrier as claimed in claim Lwherein said legs of saidmovable frameare disposed on the external sides "of said rails, saidrails having a'iU-shaped crosssection, the opening definedbyits sideflangestfacing said legs of said movable frame, said supportfelernentsconroller wheels are mounted being-secured to said legs andpassingthr'oughthe opening of said U-shtipedrailg,

3. A boat carrier as claimedin-l claim 1, further including means forsecuring said btiatdirectly to said rails and including anchoringmembei's'secured to the ends of each rail. 7

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED'STATES PATENTS 2,506,421' "5/50Hacker et aL 214-450 2,551,351 5/51 'Swenson; 214 o 3,058,636 10/62Bilbeisi "at 214- 450 x HUGO 'O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner.

1. A BOAT CARRIER FOR MOTOR VEHICLES COMPRISING A STATIONARY FRAMECONSISTING OF A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL RAILS AND OF TRANSVERSE MEMBERSRIGIDLY INTERCONNECTING SAID RAILS, MEANS FOR SECURING SAID FRAME OVERTHE TOP OF A MOTOR VEHICLE WITH SAID RAILS DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY TO THELONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID MOTOR VEHICLE, SUPPORT BRACKETS SECURED TO ONEEND OF SAID RAILS AND LATERALLY EXTENDING THEREFROM, A MOVABLE FRAME OFU-SHAPE CONSISTING OF LONGITUDINAL LEGS AND A TRANSVERSE BIGHT MEMBERINTERCONNECTING ONE END OF SAID LEGS, SAID MOVABLE FRAME CAPABLE OFDISPLACEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID STATIONARY FRAME BETWEEN A TRANSPORTPOSITION IN WHICH SAID LEGS ARE DISPOSED ALONGSIDE SAID RAILS AND SAIDBIGHT MEMBER IS DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID SUPPORT BRACKETS, AND A LOADINGAND UNLOADING POSITION IN WHICH SAID MOVABLE FRAME IS INCLINED ON ONESIDE OF SAID VEHICLE TO RECEIVE A BOAT, SUPPORT ELEMENTS SECURED TO THEFREE ENDS OF SAID LEGS AND LATERALLY EXTENDING THEREFROM AND ENGAGINGSAID RAILS FOR THE SUPPORT OF SAID FREE ENDS OF SAID LEGS, SAID SUPPORTELEMENTS BEING CAPABLE FO DISPLACEMENT ALONG SAID RAILS AND BEING GUIDEDBY THE LATTER, THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID LEGS RESTING DIRECTLY ON SAIDSUPPORT BRACKETS IN THE TRANSPORT POSITION OF SAID MOVABLE BEING AT ALOWER LEVEL THAN THE IN SAID TRANSPORT POSITION BEING AT A LOWER LEVELTHAN THE TOP OF SAID RAILS, WHEREBY A BOAT IN SAID TRANSPORT POSITION OFSAID MOVABLE FRAME RESTS DIRECTLY ON THE TOP OF SAID RAILS, SAID MOVABLEFRME BEING CAPABLE OF BEING LIFTED OFF SAID SUPPORT BRACKETS AND BODILYPIVOTED ABOUT SAID SUPPORT ELEMENTS, SO AS TO BE RAISED ABOVE SAIDRAILS, WHEREBY TO LIFT A BOAT OFF SAID RAILS.